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Social Distractions

I have been trying to keep active and go attend as many web-x talks that I would find might be beneficial to me. My unplanned unemployment and enforced lock-down have meant that I have all this free time to use. So what have I been doing? You can pretty much guess, can't you? Twittering about on Twitter, weaving about on YouTube. On the whole watching nature live webcams and vlogs about people living a hobo lifestyle in the USA. Not exactly productive Between all this I have been trying to learn chunks of Python coding. I have been following Python By Example by Nichola Lacey. I am not a great student, at the best of times, I realised that I spend more time twittering and You Tubing. I have decided that this week I would take a break from the majority of the Social Media platforms. . I will continue to use Linked and continue to dip in the Ministry Of Test Slack channels as I need to find a job. I am into my 3rd day of not using Twitter and Facebook. To be honest I do miss dipping in and seeing people reacting to world events.

It is easy to be critical of Twitter. It can and does give certain people a bigger platform to spew unpleasant views. Saying that though I  think that sort of behaviour should and not tolerated. In the last few months that I have been off. I have seen a number of these unpleasant individuals called out. Some of them have kicked off Twitter. Then scuttling off to alternate platforms yelling "I will be over here, come with me " as they go. I have mixed feelings about de-platforming people. Twitter did give us a "mute" button years ago and so I read a tweet by someone that I find disagreeable I mute them. I find the idea of yelling and screaming unpleasantness into the void a rather pleasing one. Kicking people off the platform should be a last resort and an example to everyone else.

Imagine you are in a pub and someone comes in and starts noising up people. You would hope the bar staff would warn the individual.If that fails kick them out. My experiences with Twitter have been in the whole great. I have interacted with some of my favourite creative individuals. Well known people from film, music, and literature.  As long are you respectful they tend to answer back.
Yesterday I attended an excellent Crowd Cast. It was by Rob Lambert where he talked about writing. I screenshot most of his notes and took away some good tips. One of them was writing and editing is different processes. Rob says to write and ignore all the "editor" warning and then go back and edit. So I have been trying to do this as I write this. It is hard! I have self-corrected at least 12 times in so minutes. Spelling, whole sentences! In this paragraph, I have ignored the warnings and went back edited. I can see what he means by 'getting the words out of the brain". My other take away was to actually write something everyday-no matter what it is written it. I have this blog and so that is what I am going to do! I have attempted to edit this post using "The Hemmingway app". From what I can see I use far too much of the passive voice!
I have started reading "Summerland" by Rajaniemi Hannu  . It's an Edwardian espionage thriller. Set in Alternate time where the afterlife is real thing and the dead can walk among the living. Made my head spin a good way. At its heart is a spy story of double agents and double-crossing. With the added spin alternate dimension. Although it is never said I got the feeling that the land of dead was like an Edwardian computer construct. In the book, there is mention of the Russians building "gods" which quite is the Edwardian version of AI.  Well worth a read. Would make an excellent film/tv show.
Today saw an excellent hot take on manipulating Python strings some good stuff to chew on and use!
listening to BBC Radio 3 some highlights below Ludwig Van Beethoven Coriolan Overture,  Op 62 Benjamin Britten Les Illuminations Op 18. Fanfare John Adams I shaking and Trembling(Shaker Loops)  Ralph Vaughn Williams Lark Ascending 
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